BISHKEK, 5 February, 2010 - The official opening of a field bomb disposal training facility, refurbished with the support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, will take place on Saturday, 6 February, in Kara Jigach village outside of Alamedin district outside of Bishkek. 

The facility was refurbished and equipped as part of the OSCE Centre's programme on combating terrorism. It will be used for conducting practical field workshops on bomb disposal and other training courses for internal troops of the Kyrgyz Interior Ministry.

The OSCE Centre also helped to refurbish the Main Bomb Disposal Training Centre located in Bishkek city in August 2009, and the Centre is supporting training and providing equipment for identified critical infrastructure installations.

Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said ahead of the opening: "The OSCE Centre is pleased to support the Interior Ministry's bomb disposal training courses and to provide building and communication equipment at critical infrastructure installations. These precautionary measures are prudent and necessary, both in an age of global concerns about terrorism and also given Kyrgyzstan's location within a seismic zone. A decision on the protection of national critical energy infrastructure was taken by the OSCE Ministerial Council in Athens last December, and the project is an excellent example of the OSCE putting its words into practice."

The commander of Kyrgyzstan's internal troops, Abylmazhin Shadybekov, said: "Officers' knowledge and practical skills are vital to address potential terrorism threats in Kyrgyzstan. The field training facility will play a very important role in raising the internal troops' capacity to safeguard public safety."

Journalists are invited to the opening ceremony.

Time: Saturday, 6 February, at 10:30 AM

Place: Chuy oblast, Alamedin Rayon, near village Kara Jigach, Polygon of Internal Troops of Ministry of Interior

Contact person: Media officer Burul Usmanalieva 0775 97 90 60

Journalists may also join transport departing at 10 am from the OSCE Centre.